Ask Joe Mechanic - Cleaning up after Winter

We all know how much we have hated this winter and how we cannot wait for it to finally end.   Hopefully we have seen its last this past weekend!   Well, if our vehicles could talk, they would also tell us they are ready for spring.

            As this winter was much harsher than most, our vehicles have been exposed to many more chemicals than normal. Road salt and cinders (anti-skid) materials can collect in every nook and cranny.  Salt brine that is used to pre-treat roads can be very corrosive if not washed off. And, what you track inside your car on your shoes and boots can be just as damaging to your car’s interior. This is a general winter clean-up column, with more extensive information coming over the next two weeks.

            I personally am not a fan of drive thru car washes, but I realize that some people are not physically able to do the work themselves and others just find it hard to set aside the time required to do a good winter clean up. When I make my spring visit to the car wash, I like to pick a dreary day so that it is not so crowded, as to not aggravate people when taking a half hour or so to clean my car. 

            Things to take along with you are a bucket and sponge, a brush for cleaning the wheels, a large trash bag or two (explained later), a bottle of wheel cleaner, a couple of old rags, and any other personal preference items that you would want to use. When I arrive, the first thing I do is go to the vacuum, and remove all the floor mats and trunk mat (if equipped), move all the seats either forward or back and open the trunk. Then start the vacuum and thoroughly vacuum the trunk and all floor areas that are within reach, being careful to get down along the seats and console, also vacuum the seats. Sliding the seats the opposite way and finish vacuuming, I make sure to get under the seat areas. At this point, I recommend that you throw your mats in the trunk and pull in the wash bay.

           

Now is a good time to apply the wheel cleaner to your wheels, being careful to follow the instructions to remove wheel center caps if it says that it can damage plastic. While your wheels are soaking, take your floor mats out and use the pressure washer to thoroughly wash your mats. Set them aside, rinse your wheels according to instructions and then set to high-pressure wash. Kneel down on each side of the car and thoroughly spray the underside of your vehicle. This will dilute and remove the effects of the salt brine. After that, take the pressure wand and go thoroughly around the inside of each wheel opening to wash out any trapped salt and cinders. Turn the selector to rinse and wash all the areas that you just went over. You are now ready to do your normal wash of the exterior of your vehicle. Once you have done this, take those wet floor mats, put them into the trash bags and take them home to lie out on your porch to dry before reinstalling them.